Stevens Pass

Wednesday will be a rinse-and-repeat with easterly winds and frigid temperatures. The winds likely won't impact the avalanche hazard, but watch for drifting snow or stiff wind-textured surfaces to identify shallow slabs. While large avalanches are unlikely, heed warning signs like cracking or collapsing by moving to lower angle terrain. 

With another extremely cold day in store, make sure to pack the thickest puffy jacket and some hand warmers. It is also worth considering the consequences of a minor injury or equipment malfunction stranding you overnight in the mountains. A simple issue could quickly turn life-threatening. Thankfully, the sunshine will help moderate the frigid temperatures just slightly. 

The weak facets and surface hoar associated with the January Drought Layer (JDL) are still out there, and the cold temperatures are likely weakening the recent snow surfaces as well. With the lack of avalanche activity and inconsistent stability test results, we don't expect this to be a current problem in the Stevens Pass zone. However, we think this problem will haunt us with additional snowfall, potentially this upcoming weekend. It is also worth considering if you are traveling near the zone boundary or areas where we typically have less information. In these far-flung and remote areas, stick to an assessment mindset, step into new terrain slowly,  and assess the snowpack for strong over weak layering before committing to steep terrain. Choose lower angle slopes if you find a stiffer slab over weak, surgery snow or experience collapsing/cracking. 

Recent snow totals are between 2-3ft over the past 10 days. Some sunny days produced small wet and dry loose avalanches and formed a melt-freeze crust on southerly slopes. While many tests and observations show a lack of slab cohesion, we are still closely monitoring the January Drought Layer (JDL) on northerly aspects. This weak snowpack structure is widespread, but the cold temperatures seem to have prevented a cohesive slab from developing over the weak, faceted snow. We haven't seen any avalanche activity or consistent unstable test results.  Stevens Pass seems to be the outlier for this problem because there have been plenty of persistent slabs in other zones. 

You can help us build the forecast by submitting an observation HERE or via the Avy App.